On a scale of 1 – 10, how much do you enjoy swimming at a tropical beach?
Most people would say at least an 8. Swimming at the beach is highly enjoyable, provided you’re swimming close to the shore.
Now, on a scale of 1 – 10, how much do you enjoy swimming in the ocean far away from land?
Most people would say about a 3 or lower, unless you’re an open-water swimmer or diver who enjoys being in the seas.
Why? I’m assuming that one of the top reasons is that you’re afraid of sharks. You’ve seen Shark Week and you know what a menace sharks can be. But the likelihood of getting eaten by a shark is 1 in 3.7 million. In other words, you’re 11 times more likely to die from fireworks than get eaten by a shark.
So what’s the real reason you’re afraid?
You’ve told yourself a story. One that doesn’t serve you. One where sharks exist exactly where you are in the ocean and are coming for you.
This same thing happens to a leader who wants to make change. You become afraid of what your colleagues might say, or how you might fail or how difficult the journey will be.
So you get stuck.
The first step out is to recognize that you’ve created a story. And that since you’ve created it, you can create another story. A better story. A story that can allow you to take one stroke after another until you get to where you need to go.
Tell yourself a better story. The sharks aren’t nearly as lethal as you think.
A New Source Code 